Why?
by AyukaWind
Summary: Ayuka runs into trouble, and who is there to save her but Itachi Uchiha? But why is he there?
1. kidnapped? or saved?

~~~~She does have multiple personalities... Just a heads up~~~~

A cloudless sky shone above me as I ran through the forest. The Anbu were steadily catching up to me, I would have to find a suitable place for me to stop and fight them. Black masks caught the edge of my vision and in a desperate attempt to get away I lunged sideways at one of them. I caught his mask and hurled him and the mask at the other Anbu on my left. Then I took off again.

Every now and then an Anbu would come within reaching distance of me and I would strike out at him sending him back to the safety of his ranks. But more and more Anbu continued to get closer and closer as my strength began to fade. They were closing in fast. I leapt from my branch just as one landed behind me. His kunai caught my calf and I slammed into the branch below and fell.

I twisted in the air trying to get my feet beneath me, when someone caught me and held me to their chest. I froze fearing the worst as I was lifted easily and he took off running.

My calf throbbed as he ran on. His steps were smooth and easily taken, as if I weighed nothing at all. I heard no voices anymore, no footsteps, not even his.

I tried to turn in his arms, but I was held fast. Then he stopped, I tensed expecting to be killed right then and there. He was holding me in such a position that my arms were useless to do anything to help me.

He still didn't move, and I began to wish that he would kill me instead of waiting, as it appeared he was.

Then I was lifted up and turned in his arms.

Sleepiness began to claw at my mind, and fearing that he had just poisoned me, I fought back with all I was worth. Black clouded my vision and even though I was no longer face-first into his cloak I couldn't see anything. Pain slammed into me and I sucked in my breath.

I was obviously fighting a losing battle. My calf throbbed in unison with my heart and the pain crept up from my leg to my thigh, where yet another wave of pain hit me and I involuntarily gasped.

The pain continued up across my stomach heading for my chest, and from there, my heart. I scream when the pain struck my chest. I could barely breathe, causing me to gasp for breath as the pain continued towards my heart.

I lost consciousness when it reached my heart, and my body collapsed, grateful for the end of the pain.

I woke to warmth surrounding me, and the pain still throbbing slightly in each beat of my heart.

Black greeted my eyes, and at first I thought I was still blacked out, but when my eyes adjusted, I saw that it was cloth. Turning my head I saw the face of my kidnapper, who it turned out was not Anbu.

His eyes were deep red and his hair an even deeper black. Hair fell across his face hiding most of his features. I groaned when I recognized him.

He was an Akatuski member. Lovely. The stories I had heard about what they did to their captives were no comfort to me.

I attempted to pull away from him but he held me still. He looked at me for a while and I was paralyzed by his eyes and the thought of what he might do to me now that I was helpless.

He shifted me higher in his arms and studied me for a minute longer. I winced when he knelt and sat me against a tree. He leaned back on his heels and watched me, as if waiting for something. When he had satisfied himself with watching me he leaned forward and pulled my legs out from the tucked position they were in.

I pulled back from him, unsure to what he really wanted, and he too stopped and waited. I leaned back against the tree and stared at him.

His eyes betrayed the fact that he was expecting me to attack him. But his face showed no emotion. Again, he reached forward and grabbed my leg and pulled it forward, never breaking eye contact with me.

I didn't pull back this time and he had my injured leg out straight in front of me. It throbbed and I tried to hide the pain.

He turned and reached into his bag that lay on the ground near him. He pulled out a flask and a dark rag. Twisting my leg to the side so he could see the wound better he opened the flask and poured some liquid on the rag.

The rag burned the wound when it touched it. I jerked my leg away and bit my lip to keep from crying out.

He studied my face carefully before gripping my leg tightly and wiping the wound clean. My eyesight went black, I leaned my head back against the tree and tried to regain my composure. (not that I had any left)

I opened my eyes to him shaking my shoulder. My leg was burning but the pain was receding rapidly. He picked the flask up and pulled my head towards him lightly. The flask was lifted to my lips and I drank.

The liquid felt good on my mouth even though it burned my throat…_ Alcohol… Ginseng tea with alcohol- a common necessity among ninja… It was a commonly know fact that it helped heal wounds, but it caused extreme drowsiness._

_Drowsiness! He could kill me easily if I fell asleep!_

I turned my head away from the flask, _why was I so stupid, and always at the wrong time?_ I wasn't going to go down that easily…

He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at me while holding the flask in one hand.

I moaned inwardly as the sleepiness began to hit me. _Damn, where was all of my experience in thinking before you act especially in situations like this?_

I closed my eyes and tried desperately not to lose all of my senses and become dead to the world, literally.

However, I lost track of time, my senses numbed and I fell into a deep sleep.


	2. poison

~~Thank you to my reviewer Kara InuDogDemon~~~~

*The bold is her second 'personality' or whatever you want to call it... just to clarify that for anyone

Much later I woke up. I was wrapped in a warm cloak near a fire. It took me a minute to clear the drowsiness and remember where I was and why… When I did, I was grateful I wasn't dead.

He was leaning against the tree that I had been sitting up against earlier. He didn't have his cloak on, but I did…. _Why? _My mind told me to shut up and not question it, and be thankful he hadn't killed me.

Then he stood up and walked to the fire. When he poked it with a stick it leapt up immediately, almost to soon. **_He is a master of fire_**_…_I was reminded.

And he turned to me.

I was wary of him, being an Akatuski member and all. But I felt the slightest trust in him. He had treated me well, and so far spared my life… _So far._

He knelt and reached under my shoulders and helped me sit up. My sudden urge to be as far away from him as possible was overcome by the pain in my leg.

Unfortunately the tea hadn't done much for my wound. I leaned against his arm, and gathering my courage I said the one word that had been repeating itself in my mind since I woke up, "Why?"

He looked at me for a minute before turning away and tending to the wound on my leg.

I stared up at the gray sky, _What was I doing here? _A snowflake fell and landed on my cheek. _What__? **It's December smart one.**__ Damn, I was even more screwed. How was I going to survive the blizzard that was bound to come in my shape? _**_Well who is to say you will survive? _**I thought that one over for a minute.

He pressed a little to hard on my calf and I flinched. I looked down at the wound and did a double take. It was deep and festering, blood trickled down my calf and greenish slime covered the edges of the wound.

"Its just poison. You should be fine in a day or two." His voice was deep, but soft.

He picked me up and set me back against the tree. Then after he straightened the cloak on my shoulders he say down next to me.

"You hungry?" I shook my head, food wasn't a good idea right now. He nodded and leaned back. "You thirsty?" I glanced at him and laughed harshly. He looked puzzled and picked up the flask, "What's wrong with it?" He asked examining the flask. _**What was wrong with it?** He could have killed us.** But he didn't, have a little faith here, not everyone is all bad.**_

"Hn." He stared at me for a minute questioningly. "What was wrong with it?" I turned away and shook my head. **_Exactly, nothing was wrong with it. And you know it._**

He wrapped one arm around my shoulders and lifted the flask to my lips. "It's just water." Despite what one side of my brain was telling me, I drank.

**_Well he didn't lie oh faithless one. _**I groaned inwardly, _Maybe you could help me out here, I'm a captive of the Akatuski, and I'm poisoned. I don't want your remarks. **But you need them, if it weren't for me, you would fall asleep, which you are paranoid of doing in Uchiha's arms… **_

I turned my head away from the flask, I was right, (if that makes any sense). He put the cap back on the flask and set it beside him.

Sleepiness began to pull my eyelids down, and I began to slowly fall asleep just as my mind had told me I would. My head drooped and I fell asleep leaning against his shoulder, despite my aching paranoia of falling asleep in his presence. _Maybe I could trust him... _


	3. trust

When I woke up I was in his arms again and being carried even further from where I had made my temporary home. Again that stupid little word popped into my head. _Why?_ _What had made me trust him enough to fall asleep there? _

_He is probably taking me to the Akatuski base to be killed, AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!_

_**You are letting the pressure get to you again…But look on the bright side, you aren't dead yet.**_

Of all the times that I choose to trust someone, I had to pick then…. _Jeez, I didn't even trust my own family members._

He was the last person on earth I should have ever caught myself trusting. I could be such a fool sometimes. I smirked, _but I could make up for it._

I fought against his arms as hard as I could, and surprisingly no pain came from my calf. I broke free of his grasp and fell out of his arms and straight towards the ground. The ground rushed up at me, I twisted and caught myself on my feet.

I landed off balance and pitched forward. The ground dropped straight out from sight and I found my self staring at, and falling towards a dizzying drop to a small creek.

Hoping for the best I pushed off and dove towards the creek. The air rushing by me cooled my cheeks as I fell into a familiar spiral. The falling sensation calmed my nerves and I was able to control my fall.

The creek came closer and closer and I noticed that, it was only about 3 feet deep. I got my legs underneath me and prepared myself to hit the water. Then a shadow fell over me, he had jumped too.

I pointed my feet and dropped into the water without so much as a splash. As I stood there, waist deep in the water, I watched him.

He too pointed his toes, and dropped into the water gracefully.

A ripple of water splashed the hem of my shirt and I waded towards the shore. _He is pretty damn graceful for a S-ranked criminal. __**Ha, what else would you expect from an Uchiha smart ass?**_

I stepped out of the water and examined my soaking wet pants. _**How unfortunate, maybe if you hadn't jumped into the water, but perhaps onto the land.**_

_They should dry soon if I got on the move, and if I didn't I would freeze. **Well… It's December.**_

I faced down the creek and grinned. _I was going to be on the 'road' again._

I had taken one step when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I spun around, ready to fight him. I caught one look of his face and froze in my tracks. "Are you really just going to leave?" His usually expressionless face held pain, and confusion. My mouth didn't make a response, I couldn't comprehend why.

He pushed my shoulder away and turned. "Go. Leave, Everyone else does." His words hit me, I knew what it was like to be left right when you began to care. _But, he cares? _

"Why?"** _Again that word_…** He turned back around to look at me, "Who are you to be asking that?" A pang of guilt struck at me, "Why… Why did you catch me when I fell? Why did you help me?"

He looked up in surprise, "Why? Ha, How would I know? I'm an Akatuski member! I'm cruel, evil, and I can never do anything right." The pain and venom in his voice made my eyes widen.

"I'm sorry Uchiha, forgive me." I whispered as I turned away. _ I was the one who couldn't do anything right… **Think about it, just think about it for a minute, why would he save you, and why would you trust him? Think.**_

"Why?" Now that I had thought of that, I had to know if that was why he had done it.

"Do you really want to know Ayuka Wind? Some things are better left unknown."

I stared at the cliff I had just jumped from. If I can do that, I could face this answer, whatever it may be. "Yes, Itachi Uchiha, I want to know."


	4. See

**-Short chapter -**

His hand gently grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. His eyes were inches away from mine as he leaned forward and ever so gently kissed me.

I closed my eyes and relaxed into his arms. He was extremely gentle for someone of his criminal rank, and someone with his 'record'.

He pulled away slowly and I opened my eyes again. _Did I just kiss an S-ranked criminal? _He leaned forward again and his lips caught mine. _**Yes, you just kissed Itachi Uchiha, criminal and murderer. **_

His lips were soft on mine; his hand rested on my cheek and the other in my hair. He pulled away once more, and I was left breathless. His eyes were sad and tired, he turned away again, "See." Hurt and anger filled his voice.

I took a step closer, "Itachi," He looked at me and for a second, hope flashed across his eyes. That gave me courage and I took another step. I was now toe-to-toe with him. I reached up and held his head in my hands. I gently pulled it down and kissed him.

His hands caught my wrists and he leaned in closer. When we pulled apart for the third time I whispered, "See."

He smiled and took me in his arms resting his head on mine. I smiled, _**This was not what you expected was it now? **__No, but I like it. _


	5. captured

He smiled softly, took me in his arms and rested his head on mine. I smiled, _**So much for being on the road again… **_

We remained that way for a while. His hands remained on my back and mine wrapped tightly around him. I didn't want to leave his arms but voices were drifting down the canyon towards us.

He lifted his head from mine and looked down the canyon, I turned and looked too.

Men were running down the canyon towards us. The colors on their cloaks stood out in my mind. Anbu! "Itachi, they are after me! We have to get out of here now!"

He spun me around. A wall of rock with a small waterfall greeted me. "Nowhere to go Ayuka, nowhere but up, or towards them." I wasn't going to make it up that rock wall before they reached us, so our choice was to stand and fight.

The Anbu reached us quickly we leapt into battle. I fought as hard as I could but no matter how many people I knocked out of the battle, there were always more. There were hundreds of them and only two of us.

A sudden surge of bodies separated us and I was surrounded by black and yellow Anbu cloaks and masks. The fight was lost for me. I was pulled down and my arms pinned behind me.

Then I was jerked back onto my feet and a knife shoved into my back.

I cried out in pain, and another knife was held to my throat. I leaned my head back to get away from the knife, but I still saw Itachi standing in a circle of limp bodies. He dropped the kunai he was holding and began to spin hand signs.

The knife was shoved even deeper in my back. I jerked forward in pain, but only succeeded in cutting my throat on the knife in front of me. Blood trickled down my neck and chest. Itachi stopped the hand signs, and stared at me indecisively.

The Anbu closed in around him and pain spread up my back. The poisoned knife again… _Just great. _

I fought the pain as long as I could but as the Anbu dragged the two of us back to Konoha I passed out.

Waking up I found that I was bound hand and foot and held by two Anbu. I was in the courtroom in Konoha's center. The officials were talking to several Anbu, and noticing that I was awake, they stalked over.

"Why did you help him?" I felt so drugged, but my mind was clear. "Help who?" I asked puzzled. "Help who!" The official boomed. "What do you mean 'help who?' Itachi Uchiha. That's who!" He was practically screaming in my face.

I leaned back against the Anbu, and shook my head tiredly, "You got the wrong person. I never helped him."

"Oh no, oh no. You are the right person alright. You passed out, and then there was an explosion and he was gone." I laughed, "Does that mean I did it? Funny thing though, he saved my ass. But I never returned the favor." The official pulled back in shock. "Why, and when did he save your sorry ass?" I shrugged, "I don't know, and neither will you."

It wasn't the smartest thing to say at the moment, but I was pissed off.

He snarled. "Take her away. And. Get EVERY bit of information out of her." The Anbu pulled me away to my cell, and so began my seven years in hell.


	6. so be it

***Seven Years Later***

My cell was still locked. Seven years had passed now. I had seen daylight a precious few times during those years. Most of them were when I was dragged to the courtroom to be questioned.

I had told nothing to them. There was nothing to tell.

But I had my fill of this place ten times over. Today was my last day here. The new Hokage had come in and she was very lenient with the security in this place. So it was the perfect time for me to disappear.

I pressed my ear against the door. No one was in the hallway, I placed my hand on the door, and summoned my chakra to my hand. The chakra flowed through my hand and into the lock.

It popped open and I pushed the door open tentatively. It turned out it wasn't too hard to get down a deserted hallway undetected.

When I reached the doors to my freedom and I knocked the guards out and slammed the doors open. _Freedom at last!_ I made for the gates at the edge of the village at break-neck speed.

However, I wasn't halfway there before the Anbu were swarming all over town trying to surround me. _**Perhaps, you should have snuck out the back door instead of smashing through the front gate, it does draw just a little attention. **_I growled in annoyance _You aren't helping any… _

This final dash was going to make it or break it for me. Chakra pumped through my veins and I ran for my life.

I made it to within a few feet of the gate when a kunai sank deep into my shoulder blade. _Damn it Ten-ten. _I stumbled a step and leapt for the now closed gate. My fingers barely caught the top and as I pulled myself up the knife cut through my straining muscles easily. All my ability to move my right arm and hand was now gone. My fingers slipped and I expected to fall and die at the hands of the Anbu below.

A hand reached out of the gate and grabbed my wrist. A figure followed this hand and pulled me up after him. Zetsu, the infamous hunter-nin. Rumors had spread all over the prison about him, and most weren't good.

He grabbed me by the waist and lifted my to the top of the gate. I tried to stand up on my feet and collapsed into him. Blood soaked my shirt and pants. All the wounds I had from my 'interrogation' session had opened. Zetsu jerked the knife from my should and hurled it at the Anbu trying to climb the gate.

Then he grabbed me and jumped from the gate.

We fell straight into the ground. Blackness surrounded my, I tried to breathe, but my mouth only got dirt. I choked and clutched at Zetsu's arm.

Finally we burst out of the ground and I was left lying on the ground choking on the dirt I had inhaled.

He stood there watching me. When I cleared my lungs and was able to breathe again I lay there exhausted and I pain.

"Who the hell are you?" Just as the rumors had said, his black side spoke for itself. "No one you need to know!" I spat back weakly.

Then his white side spoke, "Nice way to treat someone who just saved you." "I'd rather die than be stuck with you!" He grinned at this, exposing his long sharp teeth. "Then, so be it." He turned and dropped into the ground and was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

I was all alone, in the middle of nowhere, with no strength left in my right arm, wounds that would kill me soon and a slow dose of poison releasing itself into my bloodstream from the needle on my leg. My body was shaking from the pain that held me. Fearing the worst I pulled myself under a fallen tree in a feeble attempt to hide in case the Anbu came after me.

Time ticked slowly by, even more slowly than the seven years that had passed as slowly as seventy. With each slow minute the pain grew more and more intense. I was convulsing in pain before long. Fighting back my screams with the fear of being found and brought back to enjoy another series of years in hell worked for awhile.

The hours passed, the sky got dark, then grew light again.

By now the pain was unbearable for anyone, and the fear of being found was forgotten. Another spasm ran through my body and I screamed. My back arched and my shoulder seared in agony, I screamed again. Then, as I lay shaking in the shelter of the tree, I heard voices.

_I should have known… **You knew… you just shouldn't have denied the man's offer.**_

The Anbu was definitely going to be out after what I had done… The pain wracked my body and I moaned into the ground.

I couldn't scream again, Not if they already knew I was out there somewhere. I remained as still as I possibly could while shaking uncontrollably. Four sandals approached the tree under which I lay.

Another wave of pain ran through me. I muffled my scream but couldn't stop the tears from running down my face. A hand bearing a single ring on one finger reached around the tree and lifted it. The hand threw the tree to the side and grabbed my shoulder.

The agony that hit me, struck so hard that my sight went black.

I heard voices through the blackness. "Hey! That's the girl that I grabbed from the Anbu in Konoha." "You, what!" Shock ran through this man's voice. " I was watching for the council elders and she came tearing out of the prison and was about to escape when a knife cut her shoulder. So I grabbed her and took her out here, but, she said she'd rather die." "How many Anbu were there?" Silence came for a moment… "Bout' fifty or sixty maybe?" "She must be special, or dangerous," His voice was incredulous.

I was then picked up, "We will take her back to the base, and try to fix her up. Then we will find out what is so special about her."

_No, please! No!_

I couldn't open my eyes, but I moaned and felt the rhythm of his rocking footsteps stop. A hand touched my face and his voice rumbled in his chest, "She's in really bad shape, and needs help immediately. You take her back to the base, you are faster, and besides, I need to clean up the mess you and her left."

I was passed from his arms to Zetsu's and then I felt the crushing weight of dirt all around me. My face was pressed into his chest so I was able to breathe without being choked by dirt, but the weight hurt me badly.

After what seemed like hours we burst out yet again. I had long since lost control over my muscles. My body lay limp in his arms and I couldn't stop coughing


	8. Chapter 8

_**~Sorry it's been so long… 2 years… yeah… well I had major writer's block and uh, I don't really have an excuse other than that. But I'm back now, and that's what matters… right?~**_

I was coughing up blood uncontrollably. Voices echoed eerily around me and through the fog of unconsciousness I vaguely processed that we were in a corridor of some sort.

Another man took me from Zetsu's arm before I was laid down on a table or bed of some sort. I was dimly aware of a cloth being wiped across my arms and legs and when it reached the wounds it would skirt carefully around them. A cool liquid was then placed on my wounds and the pain began to lessen almost immediately.

As the pain subsided I was able to open my eyes again. A relatively small guy with blood-red hair greeted me with bright yet guarded eyes. He turned a picked up a syringe and slowly filled it before turning back to me. Panic welled up inside me as he walked back towards me with the needle.

I jerked away and attempted to sit up but was stopped by both the restraints on my arms and legs and his hand. He pushed me back down onto the table and held me there with one hand as I writhed under him in panic. He waited patiently for me to tire myself out, which I did and then he slid the needle into my arm and pressed the plunger. I gritted my teeth as the cool liquid worked its way through my veins. Sleepiness began to drag at my eyelids and after fighting it for a while I gave up the futile battle and let it pull me under.


	9. Chapter 9- Confusion

Hours later I woke up fully and saw they had removed the restraints. A lone figure in an Akatuski cloak stood in front of the window. Black hair was pulled back over his shoulders and a rush of memories of Itachi came back. **_Why hadn't he come for me when I was in prison? Why would he have even acted as if he loved me in the first place? Why, why, why?_** He turned around and the deep red eyes that had haunted my dreams and nightmares over the past seven years greeted me.**_He left me alone to die in hell! How could he have left me there!? I trusted him! _**

Unable to bring myself to speak I lay there watching him. His head dropped and his eyes were on the floor when he spoke. "I'm sorry Ayuka." My mouth opened to speak, but no words came. My eyes welled up with tears and I turned my head away. **_Had he meant for me to be captured? Why would he apologize like that? _** His quiet footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent room.

The red-head came back and even then I couldn't stop the tears running over my cheeks. He gently touched my shoulder, staring at me in confusion before leaving briefly. "Itachi! What the hell did you do to her?! We aren't supposed to try and get anything out of her yet!" "What?" Itachi's voice was low and deep. "She is in there and she won't stop crying." Silence followed. Then footsteps echoed down the hallway as they left. The tears came anew and I slowly cried myself to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10-Reconciliation

_**~Well, I'm back on top of things! Yay! ^_^ I'll be getting these things up somewhat regularly now.~**_

When I woke there was no one in the room. _**Perfect, I was so going to be gone**__._ Pulling myself up off the table I pulled on my shirt and pants. Slowly and painfully I made my way to the window. I lifted the window and pulled myself out. Pausing on the windowsill, I reached behind me and pulled the window shut. I was now perched on a windowsill ledge in a wall of sheer rock… **_Wow… no wonder the Akatuski could keep their base hidden._**

Taking a deep breath I jumped down from the ledge and took off running, much to my body's dismay. I had reached a large bank of trees and ran through them when I came to a sudden drop off. I froze at the edge; there was no way I would make it across in my condition. Numerous footsteps pounded behind me and instinct took over. Leaping over the edge into the black abyss I could only hope there was water somewhere below to cushion my fall.

As I fell I looked back up at the edge of the cliff and saw multiple men dressed in black cloaks gathered there. I recognized several as Zetsu, Deidara, Hidan, Tobi, Sasori and Itachi. Zetsu's figure dropped into the ground, most likely going to the bottom of the abyss. Itachi leapt over the edge and down towards me.

Rolling over in mid-air to face what I assumed was the ground, blackness swallowed me up. There was nothing but blackness to my right, left and below me. It felt as if I was unconscious again and drifting through the black with no sound but a dull roar. The roar slowly grew louder until it drowned out my thoughts. A moment passed and suddenly I slammed into ice-cold water.

My breath was taken right out of my lungs as the water pulled me under and I was tossed along the rough water. Breaking through the surface of the water I caught a glimpse of a slim line of daylight above me before being pulled under again. The current pulled me downstream before slamming me roughly into the rock wall. I desperately grabbed for something, anything, and my fingers caught onto a crevice.

Digging my fingers in I dragged myself out of the raging river and collapsed on the rough surface. I pushed myself up so that I was sitting up against the rock wall while the river roared and pushed at my feet. My clothing was cold and wet and clinging to me, causing me to shiver violently. A fireball suddenly rushed along the surface of the water, lighting everything up as it went. It fizzled out before it reached me, however a second fireball quickly followed. This one roared by me bringing a wave of warmth and intense light before it too fizzled out.

_**What was I going to do now? **_I was too tired to go anywhere after the ordeal in the river and even if I hadn't been exhausted, the pain was enough to keep me from going anywhere. Just then a small fireball flickered into existence directly in front of me. Itachi's form was illuminated as he walked across the water using his chakra. He came to a stop when he reached me and knelt down. "Are you alright?" His voice was soft. "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied and turned away. **_What would he want now, to take me back to his base as a prize? _**

His fingers traced my arm, "You're bleeding." I looked at him then down at my arm. "So I am Itachi." As soon as I said it I regretted it. His eyes looked down and a familiar sadness fell over them. "I'm sorry Itachi. I…" I didn't know what to say, "I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to hurt you." He looked up in surprise. "You worry about hurting me? Have you thought about how much I have hurt you? I got you into that mess in the canyon, I failed to get you out of there and I couldn't even get you out of prison… and…" His voice choked, "I gave up on you. I thought you were dead and if you were alive… there was no way you actually cared for me. I hated you because I thought you lead me on."

I choked back a laugh, "It wasn't your fault. They were after me from the beginning." His hand brushed my cheek and he kissed my forehead. "You're safe now." He gathered me into his arms and stood up, the fireball flickering just above his shoulder. Sleepiness drifted over me and carried me off into the black as Itachi carried me out of the ravine.


End file.
